Broad Run Cellars 2016 Fall Crush

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Boatboy24

No longer a newbie, but still clueless.
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OK, time to start this year's thread. I just ordered my grapes this morning and am already twitching with anticipation. I ordered 3 lugs each of Lanza Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, and Petite Sirah. The goal this year is to make at least 6 gallons of a blend similar to "The Prisoner", with the rest being primarily single varietal (will probably add some PS to the Syrah and Cab).

New twist: I have a partner this year - my father. He's helped along the way with the 2015's and decided he wanted to 'invest' in this year's project. I'm really looking forward to it.

More posts and pics to come soon! :db
 
Sounds good and really enjoy the time together, remember photos. I wish my Dad was still around and helping with my wine making, mine passed on not long after I retired from the Navy.
 
Hoooo boy!

This is how it starts. I started out with just myself, then my father joined me, then the whole family!!!

You are gonna need a bigger cellar!

Do not be surprised that very soon you will say to yourself..

"we can fit that tank into the house. All we need is a chainsaw!!!".
 
To all of us whose parent/s are no longer with us, I raise a glass in their honor!

Jim, enjoy and yes pictures. I too am chomping at the bit.
 
Why is it that some retailers are publishing their prices and others say they don't have them yet?
Does it have to do with their expected yields?
 
Well, we got started today with a 'practice run' for just the Zinfandel. Nice, easy trip up to Harford Winery and back with Dad. The grapes were crushed, put into buckets and brought home. I just finished taking initial measurements. Brix at 25.4 and pH at 3.68. I'll test again tomorrow, after the grapes have had a while to soak, but they were crushed yesterday afternoon and have been soaking a bit already. Got them sulfited and will wait for them to warm up. Tomorrow, we'll bottle the 2015's and pitch yeast on this batch. Cab, Syrah and Petite Sirah to follow soon. Last word was they'd be harvested on the 19th, but it has gotten cool there and things have slowed down.

@ceeaton: let me know tomorrow what your Zin numbers are.
 
Well, we got started today with a 'practice run' for just the Zinfandel. Nice, easy trip up to Harford Winery and back with Dad. The grapes were crushed, put into buckets and brought home. I just finished taking initial measurements. Brix at 25.4 and pH at 3.68. I'll test again tomorrow, after the grapes have had a while to soak, but they were crushed yesterday afternoon and have been soaking a bit already. Got them sulfited and will wait for them to warm up. Tomorrow, we'll bottle the 2015's and pitch yeast on this batch. Cab, Syrah and Petite Sirah to follow soon. Last word was they'd be harvested on the 19th, but it has gotten cool there and things have slowed down.

@ceeaton: let me know tomorrow what your Zin numbers are.

Hmm, Brix at 25.4, does that mean there is some acid adjusted water in your future? If so, please go into details of the concept since I've never had to do that before, and thanks in advance.
 
I'm not sure I'm going to do it. It's not that high and I'm 'worst casing' the reading - it was somewhere between 25.2 and 25.4. Will probably end up around 15% ABV and 40+% is likely to be blended. My last Zin was at 15+%. There is a good write up on using acidulated water in the MoreWine guide to Red Wine Making.
 
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I'm expecting my Lanza Cab and Zin this week too. Please do let us know the numbers.
 
@ceeaton: let me know tomorrow what your Zin numbers are.

Can't, juice is too cloudy and I ain't got one of them there refractometers. Settling a cylinder of juice in the fridge. Was 28.5 Brix before settling. Nice color already, fruit looked, smelled and tasted excellent. Most seeds are a dark brown.

When talking with Kevin he thought the initial Kmeta was a waste of time, he said there was not a bad grape in either of our batches, so I punted and added the Lallzyme EX when I got home.

Somewhat worried about the high potential alcohol and getting a secondary MLF to complete. Kevin suggested adding MLF at 5 Brix, before pressing. I just won't be able to keep the grapes for adding to kits if I do that.

Edit: settling pretty quickly, just did a reading and got 26.8 Brix (1.116 @ 50*F (60*F cal hydrometer)), will wait a few more hours and update this, but can see right through the sample at this point, lot's o dregs on the bottom of the cylinder.

9-18-16_zinfandel.jpg

9-18-16_zinfandel-2.jpg
 
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Dad came over a this afternoon. We bottled the 2015 blends and re-tested brix on the Zin. Was looking closer to 25.6+. Still not messing with it. I added Lallzyme last night and we put in the Opti Red and RP15 in before dinner.
 
Dad came over a this afternoon. We bottled the 2015 blends and re-tested brix on the Zin. Was looking closer to 25.6+. Still not messing with it. I added Lallzyme last night and we put in the Opti Red and RP15 in before dinner.

Since I'm so new to this, don't you think those grapes were just awesome? I thought they were the best I've ever bought, except possibly for the Dornfelder I bought last fall, which were about 4 hours from picking when I picked them up.

Edit: Latest Brix reading, 26.4 - sample is crystal clear, so that's what I'm using at this point.
 
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Yep, from what I saw, very nice. Still going with AMH, @ceeaton ? I had some delivered with my latest MoreWine order, and debated over the last several days. Now debating on what to use w/ the Cab...
 
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Yep, from what I saw, very nice. Still going with AMH, @ceeaton ? I had some delivered with my latest MoreWine order, and debated over the last several days. Now debating on what to use w/ the Cab...

AMH for the Zinfandel, QA23 for the PG juice bucket for my younger brother, GRE for the White Zin bucket for my wife/friends. Noticing the White Zin bucket has quite a bit of activity, wondering if I should Kmeta and pitch in the a.m. Moving that bucket to a 7.9 gallon fermenter since I don't want to wake up to a mess on the basement carpet, though there are some war wounds from past battles within a few feet of the carboy at this point. Rehydrating the QA23 + Go Ferm right now, not planning on the Red Zin pitch until tomorrow morning.
 
RP15 pitched about 3.5 hours ago. Already nice bubbling noticed.

I'd hit the White Zin with some Sulfite to at least slow down whatever is going.
 

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